In response to my campaigning for women and men to stop promoting any one body type but to embrace all healthy bodies (and those that aren't healthy be willing to help them) I have received almost resoundingly positive attention and I am very thankful for that. Here's one of the most beautiful emails I have received.
I just wanted to say I was really touched by your status update on body image, and the fight to nix "ideal standards". For many years, I've battled an eating disorder that's morphed from compulsive overeating to anorexia to bulimia, and in those years, my body has taken many forms from obese to a thin that was unhealthy for my body dimensions. It's hard sometimes looking back on both extremes, because I received negative feedback at both ends of the spectrum. I'm still not where I want to be right now, but that's because I'm teetering on the attempt to reinvent myself within "healthy" standards - I'm afraid of this due to many factors, but one that I constantly battle is that of self acceptance. The most difficult convert in the battle of self image is the self - something I'm still trying to win all these years later. That being said, I cannot stress just how empowering it is to see someone of the "geek perspective" constantly showcasing clients and friends of varying body types - all while different, still very much healthy. I'm trying to get back into the gym without overdoing it as I used to, and it's hard to fight the old over-achiever/destructive habits I once had that got my body to the state it's in now. I'm very happy to see this physical acceptance in health rather than appearance that you and other femme geeks have been taking lately - it really helps to hear active encouragement from folks very much physically active who don't stress the ultimate goal is to look just like them - to hear you guys say "Hey, you might never look like this, but that's not what matters - being HEALTHY is".
So again, thanks for supporting this motion. It means a lot to me :)
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This email touched my heart. It is NEVER okay to put down another body type in order to feel better about yourself. By some of the facebook images, such as the ones that pick at the 'unsexiness' of skinny girls versus curvy girls are hurtful, and if you can't see that you are part of the problem.
another email I got also had beautiful words"
"Thank you, you are an awesome person. Really really inspiring to me. You are beautiful inside and out. You care about others and that makes you amazing"
"I agree with you posts that ALL women are beautiful, it's all a mindset. I don't want to be rail thin, I just want to be a better me, that I know I can be. I enjoy having a booty and hips...that's what makes me a woman! I just want to be that confidant woman that I know is hiding somewhere inside me.
Thank you, talking to you helped me. I feel like such a loser when I talk to some people because the first thing that they say is "You're not fat!" and that's not the question. I just want to FEEL beautiful, not only look it!"
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Please keep writing. I want to help share your stories and help you and help others know that we shouldn't be judged by our abs, our curves, or anything else, we should strive to be the best and HEALTHIEST we can be. We are all beautiful.
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